The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1887-04-10
A CHALLENGE
To the Statements of Rev. @. 8.
Long, and a Demand for Proof.


dist AdrocGte publishedat Ohattan-
ooga Tenn. of March the % 1887,
the Rev. O. s. Long, late mission
cry to Japan, and Presiding Elder
aof the AshevIlle district, M E
Church, delivers himself as follows
"The deep seatad prejudice and
i'll feeling that has so long existed
in this country is having a hard
death. The 2ttemps to turn popu-
lar feeling against as by calling Us
a 4Northern-PO r POlitical - Negro
Equality Church, have NOT Been
successful, and now a different but
equally mean and contemplate
policy is being deity pursued, but
which will in the end bring only
reproach and ignomy upon its au-
thOrS. The M. e. Church South,
in advertising its services in the
Asheville papers, habitually leaves
the word "SOuth" off. and am told
the pastor of the church in Ashe-
Vile never uses the burdeusome
word even in the reception of men,
bers into his church. ALI are re-
ceived into the Nj. e. Church. This
ls a trap to catch northern emf
grants and visitors of Methodist
afinities of which there are hun
dreds in AsheviIle at all seasons OF
the year. To perfect the deception
the Southern Methodist HSmn
Book is hid away and pulpit and
pew furnished with Methodist
Hymnal." Members of our church
from the north visiting AsheviIle
for health or recreation, or with
view of making it their home, take
up the Sunday morning papers and
seeing their own church advertised,
as they suppose, go to it Of course.
The HymnaI of their own church
in the pew drives away every sus-
piciOn that possibly they may have
been deceave 1 and when the preach
er gives an opportunity for persons
to "unite with the NJ. e. Church by
letter or otherwise" they hand in
their certificates aud become MEM
bers unawares, of a church they
have always regarded with suSpi-
cion not to say cOtempt, on account
of its sectional bias, pOlitics asso-
Citations and anti scriptural teach
Jugs. Scores, no doubt, have been
taken in this strategeE. Such in
cincerity in a local pastor il not to be
wondered at when a Bishop of the
SAND Church mi his SO Sasted q HIS
tory of Methodfsm" does not scru-
pie to falsify history, misrepresent
the teachings OF good and honest
men and pervert the word of God
TO justify his Church in advocating
and practicing one of the greatest
evils known in the history of ma
tiOns. Such reckless disr, gard for
the truth and right, will, when
known, receive the unmiiigated
condemnation of all good and hon.
est people. Between fifty and one
hundred members of the Church
South, in the bounds of the Ashe-
vile District Within the last three
months, have signified their con-
tempt for such dishonesty by leav.
ing their church and uniting with
the Methodist Episcopal Church,
and still there's more to follow"
This is simply deplorable, from a
gospel minister, both as to spirit and
veracity. IdeplOre it, on account of
the church of Christ at large, and on ac-
cOuntof the profession to which, and
Bro. Long both belong But my duty
TO myself, my family, my church,
and my God, all demand that I do
not taN1ely and tacitly endorse SLAM
der and falsehood.
Now, Mr.. Editor, here are several
statements, which implicate my min
isterial and personal character, as a
Christian and gentleman. Ideplore
controversy, among ministers of the
gospel, especially, and more e :
pecialy, when it takes on the bitter
ness and malevolence of persOnGl
attack, as Is the case in this unfor-
tunate attack by Rev. G. 8. Long, D.
D., &c. IT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF; it
shows bitterness, a want of charity,
a malevolence, a petty jealousy, a
bad spirit of morbid suspicion, that
are surprising and deplorable, when
we consider the author, and what he
processes to be. This is my first ex-
perience in an affair 80 unfortunate
and unpleasant. never was publicly
attacked by a minister of the gospel
or any one else, before. My own per-
sonal character is now involved, and
my manhood and self-respect compel
me to defend myself. I repeat,
cannot tacitly endorse falsehood.
am slanderously and falsely assailed
by a brother minister of the gospel,
without moment of warning, and
God klSos0s, without provocation. My
assailant is a man who never pro-
fessed any thing for me but friend.
ship, and with whom / had never
had one unpleasant word. He stabs
me in the back; he has not the man.
illness to inform me he is ruffied, and
thus he actually bit me before he
"rattled."
I am forced by falsehood and cal.
jimmy to take the defensive; and by
your kind permission. Mr.. Editor,
propose 10 ''begtn at Jerusalem. y
And God save me from bitterness